Elbit Enhanced Flight Vision Systems

Elbit Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS) for Helicopters and regional Aircraft

Elbit Systems presented to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) 8th Rotorcraft Symposium today.  The paper is downloadable and a prior video is available to view:

UPDATE 5 July 2016: Certification of the SkyLens system on the ATR turboprop family is expected in 2017:

EASA and the FAA have been involved very early in the process, as the system will be the first of its kind in civil aviation. Both authorities participated in demonstration flights and have jointly prepared a certification review item, with the aim of updating the existing AMC2511 standard for HUD approval.

SkyLens (Credit: Elbit)

The equipment, which is to be donned just before the approach phase, is similar to wearing glasses and an audio headset. It weighs about 0.7 pounds (just over 300 grams)… A stick-mounted push button enables the pilot to deactivate the infrared image. He or she can thus return to naked eye vision (augmented with symbology) quickly.

In approach, the symbology is decluttered for the pilot to focus on the runway, speed and height. Only the pilot in the left seat will be equipped with the wearable device—for cost reasons

Canary Islands carrier Binter Canarias, for example, believes it would be helpful to cope with mist that forms close to the sea.

In a second phase, synthetic vision will be added. Fusion of the two images (infrared and synthetic) will be possible—or the pilot may choose just one of these, depending on the flight phase.

UPDATE 31 October 2018:

UPDATE 8 January 2019: Aurigny will buy three ATR 72-600 for delivery from August 2019 and all three will be equipped with the new ClearVision Enhanced Vision System (EVS) and SkyLens, with Aurigny the launch customer:.

Aurigny’s…Guernsey location in the English Channel, sees its flight operations regularly affected by fog, leading to disruptions for passengers. A study showed that an ATR equipped with the ClearVision™ EVS could have saved 50% of the disrupted landings in Guernsey, over the period of a year. ClearVision™ will also enhance operations into other destinations served by Aurigny.

The airlines was recently rated no 1 short haul airline by Which? magazine.

UPDATE 21 March 2020:

[Elbit’s] Universal Avionics Systems has received European Union Aviation Safety Agency certification for its ClearVision enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) with SkyLens head-wearable display, the first time that a head-wearable display has been certified for civil aviation. The certification is on the ATR 72/42 regional airliner.

Universal Avionics is working on three helicopter certification programs for ClearVision and SkyLens in Europe. Two are for Leonardo’s AW139 and AW169 and one for a German police Airbus Super Puma. 

For advice you can trust on helicopter safety, equipment certification and selection, contact us at enquiries@aerossurance.com